Armored observation unit



July 20, 1943. A. W. HERRINGTON 2,324,503

' ARMOBED OBSERVATION UNIT Filed Jan. 9, 1942- I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 N EN ARTHl/l? u/ HAWK/N670,

- WMWM.

July2 0, 1943. a A. w. HERRINGTON 2,324,503

ARMORED OBSERVATION UNIT Eiled Jan. 9,- 1942 2 sheets-sheet 2 f1 77; mm? m Tatented July 20, 1943 ARMORED OBSERVATION UNIT Arthur W. Herrington, Indianapolis, Ind., assignor to Marmon-Herrington Company, Inc., Indianapolis, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application January 9, 1942, Serial No. 426,152

2 Claims.

The object of my invention is to produce an observation unit, particularly designed for armored vehicles, by means of which the eyes of the user may be protected against bulletsand other flying objects, the construction being such that the amount of afforded protection maybe readily varied according to probable dangers and such that the transparent element may be readily removed and replaced.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Fig. 1 is a vertical medial section of an embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 a section on line 22 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 a front elevation with the protector plate in battle position;

Fig. 4 a rear elevation with the protector plate in non-battle position;

Fig. 5 a perspective view on a smaller scale of the transparent element;

Fig. 6 a perspective view, on the scale of Fig. 5,

of the removable wedge; and

Fig. 7 an elevation of a modified form.

In the drawings Ill indicates the main frame, conveniently defining a rectangular opening and provided with an internal flange II and an external flange I2 by means of which the structure may be attached to an apertured body plate I3 of an armored vehicle. I

At the front of the main frame, at opposite sides of the aperture defined by flange 1 I, are lugs or ribs I4 the opposed faces of which are grooved as indicated at I5, I5. I

Fitting grooves I5, I5 and extending therebetween across the aperture defined by flange l I, is a protector plate I6 provided with a sight-slit I I. Plate I6 is carried by the'rock shaft l8 which is Journalled in one side of frame In and provided,

' in vertical cross section and defines an aperture about the same size as, and alignable with, the aperture defined by flange H. One face of the key-frame 22 engages thefrear face of unit 20 and. the inclined rear face of the key-frame at its opposite vertical sides engages cam blocks 23, 23 attached to the rear face of frame Ill.

The key-frame is held in place by a swinging latch finger 24 pivoted on stud 25 carried by frame In and conveniently made of spring metal so as to be capable of exerting a spring pressure upwardly on the key-frame.

In Fig. 7 the key-frame carries on its lower edge spring fingers 30, 30 the free outer ends of which separably engage spring latches 3|, 3| attached to the opposite vertical sides of main frame I0.

The upper and lower sides of frame II) at their rear edges are notched, as indicated at 26, Fig. 2, so that the thumb and finger of the operator may more readily grasp unit 20 for removal and replacement. t

A spacer 21 provides an abutment for plate I6 at its closed, or combat, position.

During combat, in order to reduce to a minimum the chance of unit 20 being shattered by a direct hit through the aperture defined by flange II, shutter I6 is readily swung to the position shown in Fig. 1 by manipulating crank I9.

During non-combat periods, shutter I6 will be swung to a position to one side of unit 20, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4, so that the user may have a greater vertical range of vision.

In case of shattering of unit 20 the operator, by swinging latch 24, may readily withdraw keyframe 22, whereupon the damaged unit 2|] maybe extracted and a new unit quickly substituted and locked in place.

While my device has been primarily designed to be placed for use by the driver of an armored vehicle, it will be understood that it may be useful in other environments.

I claim as my invention:

'1. An armored observation unit comprising, a main body frame defining an aperture, inwardlyprojecting means intermediate the length of said aperture forming a seat for a transparent unit insertable in said aperture, said transparent unit seatable within the inner end of the frame aperaccessible at the inner end of said frame aperture for retaining the transparent unit in place.

2. An armored observation unit comprising, a main body frame defining an aperture and provided with an inwardly-projecting flange adjacent the outer end of said aperture, a transparent unit fitting said aperture and seated on said flange, an aperture wedge-shaped key-frame engageable with the inner end of said transparent unit, cam flanges carried by the main body adjacent the inner end thereof and forming an abutment for said key-frame, movable means mounted on the main body accessible adjacent the inner end of the main body and engageable with the key-frame to hold it in place, slots in the main body flanking the outer end of said aperture, an apertured protector-plate movably mounted in said slots, and a rock shaft journalled in the main body and carrying said shutter with the inner end of said shaft accessible adjacent the inner end of the main body.

ARTHUR W. HERRINGTON. 

